Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Isolda Reyes | Soldiers from 449th Aviation Support Battalion, 29th Combat Aviation Brigade work with...... read more read more
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Al Asad Air Base, Iraq – To support coalition forces in Operation Inherent Resolve, the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade is dispersed across multiple locations throughout the Middle East.
Many locations are austere with minimal life support. Even the locations with life support facilities lack robust logistical support needed for Army helicopters, unmanned aerial systems and tactical unmanned aerial systems. This was the situation at Al Al Asad Air Base in Iraq until recently.
In July, the 1-147th Assault Helicopter Battalion established a tactical command post at AAAB, with their own UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter and HH-60M aeromedical evacuation helicopters and crews from 2-149th General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), the 1-147th opened up MEDEVAC operations.
In August, the 449th Aviation Support Battalion moved into AAAB and began to construct a special rearming point for AH-64E Apache helicopters from 2nd Squadron, 17th U.S. Cavalry Regiment. The AH-64Es provide an aerial quick reaction force and deliberate strike capabilities for the coalition forces at AAAB.
The Combined Joint Force Land Component Command supported improvements to the MEDEVAC parking area at AAAB while the CAB continued to make critical improvements as well. Soldiers from the 449th ASB recently arrived at AAAB to start the process of establishing a supply support activity.
“We started out in a field with two large connexes and then we were allocated this building which was great but it didn’t have anything,” said Spc. Jamin Baker, from Company A, 449th ASB, who served as one of the construction workers of the SSA. “We had to clean this place up with the pieces we found in this area to start making this place look like something we can work with.”
With parts on hand in the SSA, helicopter mechanics will be able to perform more maintenance on their aircraft at AAAB.
“With and SSA here, the aviation brigade will finally be able to perform helicopter maintenance at Al Asad,” said Col. Mark Beckler, 29th CAB commander. “This opens up opportunities for the future.”
The SSA will serve as both a physical storage building and a shipping address for aviation parts.
“The inventory of parts we plan to have in the SSA will not only support our aviation assets but we can also use our shipping address to support the joint services located here in Al Asad which would help a lot with operation tempo,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Richard Helus, the SSA officer in charge. "We will also be able to streamline parts needed throughout the OIR area of operations.”
The final step to put the SSA into operation will occur when the 1st Theater Support Command assigns digital shipping codes and accounting codes to authorize the SSA to conduct transactions with customers. The SSA at AAAB will be the only SSA operated by an Army aviation unit in Operation Inherent Resolve. Eventually, the Aviators expect to transition the SSA to contractors from the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program.
“We should be able to start ordering parts in early October and be a fully functional SSA 60 days from that date, which will be great for this place,” said Helus. “This is a first for us.”
The 29th CAB, an Army National Guard brigade, provides aviation assets, offensive strike capability, logistical and operational support to Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
| Date Taken: | 09.20.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2017 06:05 |
| Story ID: | 250208 |
| Location: | AL ASAD AIR BASE, IQ |
| Web Views: | 136 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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